Singapore Post has been gearing up for the ongoing pre-Christmas season with additional staffand more automated 24/7 self-service terminals while UPS has teamed up with 7-Eleven in Singapore
to provide alternative parcel pickup locations at 20 of its outlets at Shell petrol stations acrossthe island.As part of SingPost’s Christmas preparations, over 320 management staff are helping out at 16busiest post offices for ten days between 3 and 20 December 2014 during rush hours. Theseadditional staff represents nearly 30% more ‘Peak Period Service Ambassadors’ than last year.
Additional staff have also been hired for last-mile deliveries and back-end operations. SingPostis deploying around 25% more postmen this December for parcel deliveries on Saturdays. Speedpostparcels will be delivered on Saturdays until end February next year, with 25% additional couriersalso being added to help out with the Speedpost deliveries.
In addition, SingPost has expanded its network of ‘POPStations’ from 15 terminals last Decemberto now 77 with around 6,200 lockers as an alternative delivery option for end-consumers providingthem with more convenience. Besides parcel collection, they can also post or return their items orpay safely for their online purchases round-the-clock at a terminal of their choice located neartheir homes and offices. With the recently launched POPStation mobile app, customers can pick uptheir parcel even quicker with a swipe on their smart gadgets.
Meanwhile, more details about SingPost’s S$182 million (€112 million) new Regional eCommerceLogistics Hub, due to open in the second half of 2016, have been revealed by Siemens, whichannounced today that it has been contracted to design, supply, install and commission an integratedparcel sorting system for the facility. The contract, worth a double-digit million euro sum,includes 15 years of spare parts supply and maintenance services.
The e-commerce logistics hub will be equipped with Siemens’ VarioSort cross-belt sortermeasuring around 500 metres in length – which results in more than 650 sorter elements. The latestoptical character recognition (OCR) technology will enable nearly 100% of automated processing.Some 300 accumulation chutes with a capacity of up to 200 parcels each ensure that the system willbe able to handle up to 100,000 parcels per day.
Michael Reichle, Global CEO of Siemens Logistics and Airport Solutions, said: “This projectrepresents a great success for us. It is of particular strategic importance since it will combineSiemens’ sophisticated technology with an excellent competitive international e-commerce logisticsplayer.”
The new facility, situated in the east part of Singapore on a 30,000 sqm plot of land, willhouse a parcel sorting hub on the ground level, warehouses on the second and third levels, and acar park with space for 270 vehicles on the fourth level.
Separately, UPS announced that customers in Singapore can pick up their parcels at newAlternative Delivery Locations (ADL) that the company has set up at 20 Shell petrol stations aspart of its exclusive partnership with 7-Eleven.
UPS explained that the move was driven by e-commerce and online growth, cross-bordertransactions as well as the need to offer customers in Singapore greater control over theirshipments by providing them secure and convenient delivery alternatives.
The new solution offers customers the flexibility of collecting parcels from selected onlineretailers, at the closest participating Shell ADL operating 24/7, if they are not at home when UPSmakes the first delivery attempt.
“The online shopping market in Singapore is projected to reach SG$4.4 billion by 2015 (accordingto PayPal Online and Mobile Shopping Insights Study), and our customers have raised concerns aboutnot being available to sign off on their purchases when they arrive,” Ingrid Sidiadinoto, ManagingDirector, UPS Singapore, said. “We are excited to partner with Shell and 7-Eleven to help raise thebar on customer service, giving customers greater control over their e-commerce shipments whileoffering them a secure and quick option to retrieve their packages.”
In addition to the 7-Eleven partnership, Shell will also be fuelling UPS’s Singapore deliveryfleet comprising 100 vehicles helping UPS to reduce harmful emissions and its carbon footprint inSingapore.
As a member of Dairy Farm International operating under the license from US based 7-Eleven,7-Eleven Singapore has an extensive network of 500 stores and continues expanding. In addition tofood and drinks, the stores offer services such as payment services, online shopping collection andcourier services.
